What languages do you know?

Question

first what is your native language and if you know any other languages why did you want to learn the second language?

my native language is english (american southern english haha),
i took latin in middle school and german in highschool, just because i had to take a language and i wanted it to be different!

Answer 1

English is my mother tongue.
But as for what other languages I know and why? Well...
Esperanto, absolutely! I love this language!
My kids and I are learning it. We practice it every day, and believe it or not, Esperanto represents the best chance for the survival of the multitude of dying languages since it's purpose is to forestall the monopoly of any one National tongue to the disadvantage of another.
Consider if you will, Esperanto is an easily learnt AUXILIARY language. This means that myself and that German, Japanese or Korean fellow over there needn't sink a lot of time and effort into learning each others mother tongues if they don't wish, where whose ever tongue we settle to communicate in will hold the advantage in any discussions; since the likelihood of having a mastery of the second language will be remote at best. Each partner has exerted a similar effort in order to communicate; a linguisticly neutral hand shake if you will. Yet we are still free to talk in our mother tongues when and where we choose.
Further, I am now in a position to visit just about every country in the world and with the help of my new found Esperanto speaking friend (2 million plus) learn of his / her culture and language. This second facet is possible because in learning Esperanto I now have a firmer grip on linguistic principles. I will provide a link below on the benefits of learning tertiary languages after Esperanto.
However, if it is Culture you desire, then you've no need to look much further than the Internet. In music there are Folk, Jazz, Opera, Rock, Hip Hop, Rap, childrens' songs, etc. In literature there is multinational translations plus original works. The yearly Esperanto Congresses are a play ground for young and old alike for interaction.
The error it seems that most people make, is the assumption that a focus on one area or language will detract from other areas. Although it may be true to a point, it is extremely unlikely to effect an area to the point of destruction. There are simply too many people in the world to allow that to happen. None of this precludes learning another language.
Conversely, nobody would feel forced to learn it, especially if they've no desire to leave their comfort zone.
The fact is that like it or not, it's use is expanding exponentially. The last educated guess puts the number of functionally fluent speakers at 2 million plus and another 2,000 native speakers (those that were born to an Esperanto household; yes they exist).
Yet many feel almost threatened by it, which is the last intention of the Esperantistoj (ehs-pehr-ahn-TEES-toy). It is simply a tool to allow those that might otherwise struggle to learn a new language, the option of expanding their horizons.
Finally, there is currently $600 million plus a year being spent on translation services at the UN, and a similar amount in the EU, because no one nationality wants to loose the prestige of owning one of the 'working' languages in each of those institutions. This a huge waste of resources that might otherwise go to feeding and housing those less fortunate. A single working language, easily learnt (less than a year to become fluent) would certainly go along way towards that goal. The Universal Esperanto Asociation (UEA) currently holds observer status (class B) at the UN and UNESCO. So there is some movement towards this goal.
Research and draw your own conclusions.
You wanted to know, you got it.

Ĝis!

Answer 2

My native language is German and my second language is English, I think it's obvious why, it's just the most important language in the world and we all have to learn it at school in Germany.
I also had classes in Latin, French and Russian at school, but I forgot almost everything of Latin and can hardly speak French or Russian (but French still better than Russian).

Answer 3

I speak Russian and Ossetian natively. I learned English starting at a young age because I know it is important and because my mum is an English teacher, she taught my sisters and I starting at an early age. Now I live in Canada, and it came in useful. I studied Polish and Spanish because they seemed like fun, but I didn't stick with them too long...although I still like them. I studied German because I had an interest in it since a young age at well, and I am nearly fluent (if not fluent already) in it. This may also be good because I will be traveling to Germany this summer and deciding whether I should live there or not a few years from now. I have recently also started learning Italian for fun because I have wanted it to, but never had any chances, and I have found some books and websites to learn Dutch as soon as I am done with Italian.

Answer 4

My native language is Filipino. I can speak English because the school's curriculum is mostly in English and we've been under the Americans for sometime ;> Learned a little Spanish because my ancestors are Spanish, its an elective subject in high school & college, my country is under the Spanish rule for a very long time and lastly..I can speak, read & write Thai because I married a Thai... ;>

Answer 5

I know a lil bit of German, French, and Spanish! My native language is English but my family is from Germany so im learning german and i took french and spanish in school! I wish our school had offered German its a hard language to learn!

Answer 6

my native language is arabic, although my first spoken language was english as i was born in canada, i speak it with an american accent cause after canada we went to switzerland where i entered an american school, and in that country you get to be familiarized with french, german and italian, so i know a little of this and that, but not the latter.
now i'm an english demonstrator at the college of arts and english is my passion!

Answer 7

Native language is Urdu. Learned English at my elementary school where is was the medium of instruction. Also know a bit of Sindhi & Punjabi (local Pakistani languages)

Answer 8

Born and raised on English... Trying to learn some L/Dakota ("Sioux"), because I'm also trying to piece together the family tree including that part and am interested in knowing something about it, including language. Luckily I have some good people to set me straight, much better then I could ever get from an inaccurate book.

Answer 9

Spanish is my native language

I speak English, Spanish, some Italian, little bit Mandarin, and I am currently learning French.

I want to learn only the languages I like because I'd like to be a translator/interpreter.. Also because my boyfriend is Chinese (he speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hakka.... and also English of course hehe).

Answer 10

Russian (native)
English (attended at school but learned at university lol)
a bit Latin (school) - almost forgotten
Swedish (learned myself 'cos planned to go there)
basic German and Italian - just curiosity